Cranfield University will spearhead the research and development of the first major H₂ technology hub to demonstrate the potential of H₂ as a net-zero aviation fuel.

The £69-MM investment creating the Cranfield H₂ Integration Incubator (CH2i) is the largest financial injection for research that Cranfield University has ever secured. £23 MM comes from Research England’s Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF), with a further £46 MM committed from industry partners and academic institutions.

The demand for air travel is rising, with estimates that UK passenger traffic could increase from 284 MM in 2016 to 435 MM by 2050. Unless action is taken, aviation will be the largest source of carbon greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the century. In this context, the rapid development and scale up of H₂-enabled aviation is a critical part of addressing growing demands whilst transitioning to cleaner air transport. With domestic aviation setting a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2040 in the UK government’s Jet Zero strategy, CH2i will support the aviation industry to explore how to move towards the use of H₂ at scale.

“This game-changing investment builds on Cranfield’s expertise in H₂ research and will help the aviation industry to make the leap to using H₂,” said Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University.

“CH2i will integrate with other large industry research areas at Cranfield including our novel H₂ production programs and our Aerospace Integration Research Centre and the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre. Working with research and industry partners nationally and internationally, we will unlock some of the most significant technical challenges around the future development and deployment of H₂ in aviation. It’s a very exciting prospect for our researchers, partners and for the aviation industry. It will help to build the pathway to net zero emissions aviation.”

CH2i will create a unique ecosystem at Cranfield, connecting the production, integration and use of H₂ for net zero aviation, proving how the industry can decarbonize rapidly.

The research collaboration, linking into a new Centre for Doctoral Training in Net Zero Aviation at Cranfield, will provide an environment to develop the production technologies, catalysts, materials, structures, storage tanks, aircraft designs and engines that are urgently required to accelerate the adoption of H₂ in a net zero world. By developing new laboratories, at scale test facilities and airport infrastructure this project will deliver a transformation in H₂ technologies.

Bringing together academia, industry, government and regulatory authorities, CH2i’s work will inform policies, services and regulatory practices that are needed to realize regional, national and international economic growth and skills development opportunities.

Co-Principal Investigator of CH2i, Professor Dame Helen Atkinson DBE FREng, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the School for Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing and Materials said, “The consortium will bring a ‘systems engineering’ approach, accelerating the integration of H₂ into airports and aerospace propulsion and delivering next generation technologies. Together we are committed to unlocking H₂’s potential for airports and aviation globally, realizing our collective ambitions for a more sustainable future.”

As the only university in Europe with its own airport, research aircraft and air traffic control facilities, Cranfield has a controlled airside environment which can demonstrate, test and advance new technologies, systems and processes at scale.

Co-Principal Investigator of CH2i, Professor Chris Fogwill, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of School for Water, Energy and Environment at Cranfield University said, “We’re creating the blueprint for sustainable zero emissions flight and infrastructure, by building world-class laboratory and test facilities that integrate the production, storage and utilization of H₂ at scale across the campus and airport.”

CH2i will connect and expand existing facilities at Cranfield, supporting research and development across the whole supply chain from production, storage, transport and usage, through to assessment of the environmental impacts. CH2i will demonstrate where H₂ can be integrated into both ground operations and as a fuel for aircraft propulsion.

CH2i will include three large infrastructure elements:

• H₂ Integration Research Centre – extending an existing facility, this will include new labs for advanced materials synthesis and testing for H₂-based technologies, analytical laboratories and a dedicated innovation area to develop next generation H₂ pilot plant demonstration, electrolysis, catalyst development and green H₂.
• Enabling H₂ Innovation (Test Area) - investment into two separate test bed facilities, able to support H₂ and liquid H₂ activity, fuel systems, storage and propulsion system integration at mid- and high-technology readiness levels.
• Development of Cranfield Airport’s infrastructure, increasing its capability for safe operation and testing of future demonstrator H₂-powered aviation.

The funding will also provide new equipment, project management and staffing to support the project.

“A key part of this initiative is achieving rapid innovation within a regulated, safety-critical context,” commented Professor Leon A. Terry, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Cranfield University.

“Cranfield has existing expertise in the production, storage and use of H₂ in an industrial context, and a track record of building near-industrial scale facilities. This funding heralds a transformation in the H₂ research trajectory, and our unique expertise and facilities puts Cranfield right at the center of accelerating H₂ development in the UK.”

Professor Sir Iain Gray, Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University and a member of the UK Jet Zero Council said, “CH2i is set to act as a global and regional incubator for sustainable aviation research and innovation. It builds on our strategic relationships with industry and will create an environment where we can openly explore how H₂ innovations will change aviation. It will also stimulate new business opportunities across the aviation supply chain and help to provide a new talent pipeline of researchers to grow a competitive high technology capability for the UK.”

Marshall CEO Kathy Jenkins said, “This investment in CH2i is a clear vote of confidence in Cranfield’s unique position as a scientific and industrial flagship for the UK. It demonstrates H₂’s transformative potential in aviation. As we continue to advance our strategic relationship with Cranfield, these test facilities will serve as an ideal proving ground for our newly established HyFIVE consortium. It is here we will develop globally outstanding H₂ technologies and products that support clean growth and future mobility.”

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions CEO, Paul Hutton said, “CAeS welcomes the establishment of the CH2i H₂ hub at Cranfield and is proud to be a major industrial partner in the program. The investment will provide valuable facilities for our H₂ fuel cell propulsion system development program, and we look forward to deepening our relationship with the Cranfield University team as we develop the technology needed for a more sustainable aviation industry."

The investment from Research England brings the total funding figure for the RPIF scheme to £1 B since its inception. Cranfield is one of four universities to receive funding in this round.

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair at Research England said, “I am pleased to be able to award four more universities funding from our flagship UK Research Partnership Investment Fund to create four centers in a diverse range of topics, from net zero aviation to wound research, and disease therapies to future transport.

“The fact that we have been able to fund 60 research centers and facilities from the fund since 2012, investing £1 B to tackle some of today’s biggest research challenges, from developing treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease to tackling global inequalities, and finding better treatments for cancer to net zero growth, is something I am immensely proud of. I very much look forward to seeing how these new facilities deliver against a variety of diverse challenges over the coming years.”